D-Day Museum and Overlord Embroidery

The D-Day Museum was established in 1984 to tell the story of Operation Overlord from its origins in the dark days of 1940 to victory in Normandy in 1944.

The amazing Overlord Embroidery, a modern-day counterpart to the Bayeux Tapestry that tells the dramatic story of the Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944. History comes alive in 34 panels of the magnificent ‘Overlord Embroidery’.

Step back in time to scenes of wartime Britain – the ‘Home Front’, ‘Women at War’, military equipment, tanks, landing craft, and much more. An archive film show captures the spirit of the wartime years, and the remainder of the extensive displays include tanks, jeeps, a DUKW and a landing craft, as well as smaller items such as maps, photographs and uniforms.

For details of current admissions charges, please go to www.portsmouthmuseums.co.uk/prices.htm

Discounts

Museums Association

Getting there

Please see our website www.ddaymuseum.co.uk for travel directions.

Additional info

The D-Day Museum is suitable for a wide range of National Curriculum work and a Resource Pack for KS1 and 2 is available for loan.

As part of the NCSU 'Britain since the 1930's' we can offer schools special handling and role play sessions on the Home Front. These handling sessions are chargeable and available during the autumn and spring terms.

The Museum's centrepiece is the Overlord Embroidery. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, it is a moving tribute to the efforts and sacrifices of the Allies in defeating Nazi Germany. The scenes depicted in the Embroidery's 34 panels are vividly described in a multi-language soundguide.

Within the Embroidery gallery is the audio-visual theatre, where archive film footage, music, wartime images and the words of those who lived through it combine to evoke the atmosphere of World War II.

Then in the Museum's displays visitors experience the sights and sounds of Britain at War - the air raid warden's living room in the Blitz, the factory resounding to the strains of 'Music while you work', and troops preparing for D-Day in their forest camp.

The climax of the displays is a dawn to dusk reconstruction of the Allied landings by sea and air on D-Day itself - World War II's 'longest day'.

The last section of the exhibition, 'Portsmouth Memories', features the recorded reminiscences of local men, women and children who experienced life on the Home Front or took part in D-Day.

The final image in the exhibition - a photograph of the rows of gravestones in the war cemetery at Ranville in Normandy - is a reminder of the price of victory, which must never be forgotten.

Collection details

Archives, Costume and Textiles, Land Transport, Maritime, Weapons and War

Website

E-mail

Telephone

023 9282 7261

Fax

023 9287 5276

All information is drawn from or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.